7+ Affordable and Reliable Supplements to Shed Pounds
Put on some weight and no longer like your reflection in the mirror? Want to know what are the best supplements for weight loss? While everybody agrees that the real keys to a slim waist are a healthy diet and regular physical exercises, there are still some dietary supplements that can help you with getting your weight down.
It is important that you stick to products with established efficacy: they don’t have to be trendy or very expensive to do their job. On the contrary, heavily-publicized products that cost a fortune very often don’t work at all. Use these supplements that were tested numerous times:
Probiotics
Probiotics are strains of beneficial bacteria that normally live in the gut. It was found that people with moderate weight and those who suffer from obesity have different gut bacteria: lean people usually have a greater diversity of strains. It is believed that probiotics can help you reduce weight in several ways at once:
- they inhibit the absorption of fat from the food so that you receive fewer calories
- they release hormones that reduce appetite so that you don’t feel hungry
Don’t expect dramatic effects from using probiotics though: in one study, supplements with yogurt with Lactobacillus bacteria reduced body fat by 3–4% over the term of 6 weeks. On the other hand, probiotics will be of great help once you’ve dropped some extra pounds and need to avoid gaining them again.
Here is one of the most popular and affordable probiotic products on iHerb:
LactoBif Probiotics, 30 Billion CFU by California Gold Nutrition
- Contains 8 probiotic strains
- Manufactured in a Current Good Manufacturing Practice certified facility
- Double-foil blisters to protect the bacteria from moisture, light, and oxygen
Beta-Glucan
Beta-glucan is a soluble fiber that is obtained from barley and oat. Beta-glucan was found to decrease the level of “bad” LDL cholesterol in blood, help the immune system, and improve insulin sensitivity. What’s more, it can help you feel full so that you do not overeat. Use of it in one study helped people reduce their weight by 1.9 kilograms (4 pounds) on average during 3.8 months.
If you wonder what are good supplements for weight loss, try this inexpensive yet reliable product:
Extra-strength beta-glucans by NOW Foods
- 500 mg per serving
- Manufactured from bakers’ yeast
- Vegan
- Good quality at a moderate price: one of the best bargains.
Whey Protein
Weight loss doesn’t equal starvation: you need to balance your diet, not make do without food at all. One of the most important tasks on your way to slimness is to replace energy-packed foods (like carbohydrates) with more healthy proteins. Protein is a filling food that your body takes some time to digest; it is essential for muscle growth. When you switch to protein, you receive fewer calories, do not feel hungry, and give your body plenty of building material for cells and tissues.
Whey protein is more bioavailable compared to various other protein forms like soy protein and casein. Add it in powdered form to various beverages and yogurt to make them both filling and delicious. In one twelve-week study, the addition of whey protein to the diet allowed to reduce the participant’s daily caloric intake by 500 calories. Each participant lost at least 2.25 kg as a result.
If you are looking for the best supplements for weight loss and muscle gain for both males and females, give this product from iHerb a try:
Chocolate Whey Protein + Probiotic by Lake Avenue Nutrition
- High-quality whey protein with cocoa powder
- No artificial sweeteners or colors used
- Includes 16 probiotic strains (which, as described above, are also good for weight loss)
- Enzyme blend to boost digestion
- 10% of the recommended daily calcium intake per serving
Stevia
To say that sugar is packed with calories would be an understatement: sugar is energy itself. It is very easy to overdose sugar in your diet: excesses of it that cannot be used right now are transformed into fat. Thus, if you want to know what supplement helps lose weight, it’s time to switch from sugar to stevia.
Stevia is a Latin American plant that was used by the indigenous population instead of sugar for thousands of years. While it tastes pleasantly sweet, the human body does not use it for its metabolism. As a result, stevia has zero calorie content — the best possible replacement for sugar in your meals and beverages.
Here is one of the highest-rated stevia sweeteners on iHerb:
- One packet equals 2 teaspoons of sugar in sweetness
- Manufactured using high-quality stevia leaves and water
- One of the best supplements for fat loss on the market
- No artificial ingredients, sweeteners or colors used
- Non-GMO and allergen-free
Flax Seed
Flax seed is a very good source of fiber that helps you feel full for a longer time. This is especially important if you reduce your usual caloric intake using, as mentioned above, stevia for sugar. Research proves that flax seed allows you to get fewer calories and not be starving at the same time. A review of 45 trials makes a conclusion that flaxseed supplementation was followed by a significant reduction in body weight and waist circumference.
On iHerb you can find the best supplements for men’s and women’s weight loss. Here is one of the most popular iHerb products with flax seed:
Organic Flax Seed Meal by NOW Foods
- Milled powder that can be added to cereals, meatballs, pancakes, bread, muffins, or yogurt
- Cold processed
- Non-GMO
- Certified organic
- No artificial ingredients
- 3.2 grams of ALA per serving
Flax is abundant in ALA (alpha-linoleic acid) — a precursor to the essential omega-3 fatty acids DHA and EPA. The body converts ALA into EPA, and EPA into DHA which is then used for the health of the nervous system (including the brain), skin, and retina. Still, the efficiency of such a transformation varies greatly from individual to individual, so it is recommended that you use fish oil supplements to get the recommended daily amounts of omega-3 fatty acids.
Caffeine
Coffee is thoroughly integrated into our culture and it might be difficult to believe that this drink can actually help you drop some pounds. Still, this nervous system stimulant offers several important benefits for weight loss:
- It is known to decrease energy intake from meals in overweight/obese participants. This means that if you have a weight problem, you might benefit from drinking coffee during the meal as your body will absorb less energy from the food you’ve eaten. (By the way, do not use sugar to sweeten your beverages, use stevia that carries zero calories). Unfortunately, it is believed that this effect is considerably more pronounced in men than in women;
- Caffeine increases the rate at which fat is broken down and calories are burned in the body. It boosts energy expenditures and multiplies the turnover of lipids. Thus, the coffee you drink helps you spend more energy and get rid of the fat to get slim.
Still, coffee needs to be used in moderation as it has some side effects:
- Stimulation of urine output which might lead to dehydration;
- Worsening of anxiety;
- Headaches, nervousness, and insomnia (especially when taken in high doses);
- Raised blood pressure.
While recommended daily caffeine consumption might vary from individual to individual, daily doses of 200 mg of caffeine (two regular coffee cups) will be enough for most people.
One of the most popular beverages on the planet — and, simultaneously, one of the best supplements for weight loss and energy burn — can also be bought on iHerb:
Organic instant coffee by Mount Hagen
- Certified USDA organic
- Freeze-dried
- Arabica beans from the best high-altitude regions
Ground coffee, medium roast by Mt. Whitney Coffee Roasters
- Certified USDA organic
- Best high grown Arabica
- Nitrogen packed for freshness
MCTs
There are numerous types of fat, and medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs) are the most healthy of them all. MCTs are absorbed by the body considerably faster and much more easily than regular medium-chain triglycerides. MCTs very quickly help the brain and muscles get the energy they need and make you feel focused and refreshed. What’s more, they speed up the process of calorie burning. The excess of MCTs is not stored in the body, so they do not make you fat. Replace at least some of the oils you use for cooking with MCTs, and you will get significantly healthier — and slimmer.
Medium-chain triglycerides are totally natural products that are obtained from palm kernel and coconut oils. If you wonder, what are the best natural supplements for weight loss, MCTs will be the right choice. Buy it on iHerb:
Organic MCT Oil by Nature’s Way
- Certified USDA Organic
- Non-GMO
- Obtained from organic coconut oil, no filler oils used
Now you know what are the best dietary supplements to lose weight. All products we recommend are affordable, well-researched, and safe for your health. All of them proved their efficacy for weight loss numerous times. That said, keep in mind that to achieve significant results you should not neglect two key aspects of getting slim: a healthy balanced diet and regular physical exercise.What are the best supplements for weight loss — now you know the exact answer to this question. Stay healthy!